4 Myths and Misconceptions About Polygraph Tests 4o5a48

Most people have seen at least one movie or television show that featured a lie detector test, and most people have come to their own conclusions regarding how they work and how reliable they are. More formally known as a polygraph test, there are many misconceptions and myths surrounding these devices that were first invented in 1921. Modern polygraph machines make a record of several physical markers simultaneously: respiration, heart rate, blood pressure, and sweat gland activity. Anomalies in any of these four areas during questioning can reveal stress, which is interpreted as potential deception. Here are some common misconceptions to consider when deciding whether or not to employ or take a polygraph test.

1. Polygraphs Offer 100% Accuracy 4656j

Because these devices are not 100% accurate, false positives are a real possibility when using polygraphs. If you’re interested in the best lie detector test, you’ll need to pair it with a skilled and knowledgeable examiner. The expertise of the examiner will have a significant impact on just how accurate the results are. The more experience and training the examiner has, the more accurate the results tend to be. It is this margin of error that leads to the next myth surrounding lie detector tests.

2. Results are not issible in Court 6y33k

The results of a lie detector test are sometimes issible in a court of law. They can be used in both criminal and civil cases. According to the US Supreme Court, judges can exercise their diacretion when deciding whether or not polygraph test results are itted. Many polygraph examiners have been called into courts of law to testify about a polygraph they istered.

3. Anxiety Influences Results Significantly 692c2t

Again, the entertainment industry has portrayed polygraph tests as being easily susceptible to someone’s anxiety or nervousness. This is simply not true. It’s the physiological reactions that a person experiences while being questioned that influence test results. Typically, people do not exhibit anxiety to such extremes that would significantly influence polygraph results. If someone is nervous, their nervousness would affect all questions fairly equally. It wouldn’t only appear on certain questions. A qualified examiner knows how to take nervousness into when interpreting test results.

4. Polygraph Tests Detect Lies 735k3z

Although most people use lie detector and polygraph interchangeably, a polygraph machine does not detect lies. It can point to potential deception based on changes in heart, breathing, and electrodermal activity. Not only does a polygraph test rest on the experience and expertise of the test , it also rests on the questions themselves.

These investigative tools are meant to help identify potential leads in dead-end cases and potential deception. Thanks to television and movies, most people think that lie detector tests are a big part of criminal investigations, but they are just as likely to be used in pre-employment screening and marital situations. While polygraph tests are useful when used properly by a well-trained and experienced examiner, there is a margin of error that must be considered.